Addiction to painkillers is putting many Americans on a road that leads to heroin and an early grave, writes Andrew Purcell. The United States is in the grip of an unprecedented epidemic. In 2014, more than 47,000 people were killed by an overdose more than were killed by guns, or died in traffic accidents. " This is the worst drug addiction epidemic in United States history," says Andrew Kolodny, the chief medical officer of Phoenix House in New York. Phoenix House was founded in 1967 by six heroin addicts who resolved to kick the habit together and has grown to become the nation's leading provider of drug- abuse treatment. [continues 1187 words]
'This generation is really sick' Addiction to painkillers is putting many Americans on a road that leads to heroin and an early grave, writes Andrew Purcell. The United States is in the grip of an unprecedented epidemic. In 2014, more than 47,000 people were killed by an overdose - more than were killed by guns, or died in traffic accidents. "This is the worst drug addiction epidemic in United States history," says Andrew Kolodny, the chief medical officer of Phoenix House in New York. Phoenix House was founded in 1967 by six heroin addicts who resolved to kick the habit together and has grown to become the nation's leading provider of drug-abuse treatment. [continues 1196 words]
Since President Nixon began the battle, a trillion dollars and 40 years have been spent trying to end it. So why is the government losing so badly? Forty years ago this week, President Richard Nixon defined his country's new drug policy with a military metaphor that stuck. "Public enemy number one in the United States is drug abuse," he declared. "In order to fight and defeat this enemy, it is necessary to wage a new, all-out offensive." A trillion dollars and seven presidents later, the war is still being fought, and lost, with catastrophic results. [continues 1577 words]
The War on Drugs Has Been a Cornerstone of America's Criminal Justice System Ever Since President Richard Nixon Coined the Phrase Four Decades Ago. Three recent developments suggest that policy-makers are finally losing faith in its effectiveness. The National Drug Threat Assessment, released on Thursday, showed that drugs are cheaper and easier to obtain than ever before. Traffickers and violent street gangs either side of the US-Mexico border are thriving. Law enforcement has failed to interrupt the chain of supply and demand. [continues 1593 words]
